By / ScenicSpot Family Fresh (compiled and reported)
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced on April 18 that there were 3 new imported cases of COVID-19 (cases 396, 397, and 398), all involving men in their 20s who were interning on a naval vessel in Taiwan and shared the same dormitory. The three individuals began their internship aboard the ship on February 21 and lived in the same room. A total of 337 people (including the 3 cases) were on the vessel when it docked in Palau from March 12 to 15. After leaving Palau, the ship sailed at sea for nearly 30 days before docking at a military port in Taiwan on April 15.
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[Domestic Epidemic Situation]
The three cases are located in Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taoyuan respectively. Case 396 developed symptoms such as headache and loss of smell on April 12. After disembarking on April 15, he returned home and sought medical attention on his own. He visited the hospital again on April 17, where testing was conducted and the case was reported. Case 397 began experiencing symptoms including soreness in the upper respiratory tract, headache, runny nose, cough, and loss of smell in early April. After returning home, he sought medical care and was tested on April 17. Cases 396 and 398 were both confirmed today. Case 398 was additionally confirmed at the time of the press conference.
Military academy trainees associated with the ship were urgently contacted overnight by the military, with transportation arranged to recall them for testing. Those still on board were restricted from leaving or entering, and were collectively moved out for quarantine. Plans include a full disinfection of the vessel. Anyone found positive after testing will be hospitalized, while the rest will enter quarantine.
[Southeast Asia Returnees Must Report and Undergo Enhanced Testing]
Due to relatively unstable testing capacity in Southeast Asian countries and potential underreporting of cases, starting April 21, all individuals returning from Southeast Asia must report their status and be subject to epidemic control measures, with enhanced management of imported cases.
[Epidemic Statistics]
As of the 17th, there were 846 new reports related to COVID-19 in Taiwan, bringing the cumulative total to 52,446 cases (including 49,726 that have been ruled out). Of these, 398 have been confirmed (cases 396, 397, and 398 added today), comprising 342 imported and 55 domestic cases. Among the confirmed cases, 6 have died, 178 have been released from quarantine, and the rest remain hospitalized in isolation.
The CECC noted that globally, there have been 2,243,754 confirmed cases across 184 countries/regions. The highest numbers are in the United States (699,706), Spain (188,068), Italy (172,434), France (168,241), and Germany (133,830). There have been 152,316 deaths worldwide, with the U.S. reporting 36,773, Italy 22,745, Spain 19,478, France 18,681, and the U.K. 14,576.